2017

Increasing employement of foreign-born women

The Public Employment Agency (Arbetsförmedlingen) is commissioned to present an action plan on how to increase the proportion of foreign-born women who work or study. The aim is to reduce overall unemployment and increase employment for this target group. The service shall pay special attention to women with little or no educational background and with limited experience of paid work in Sweden.

Coordinator will support young persons not in education, employment, or training

The Swedish government has appointed a coordinator who will synchorinise support for young persons not in education, employment or training. The aim is to coordinate the support from public authorities, municipalities, county councils and other organisations at national, regional and local level.

2016

Targeted student aid to encourage studies among unemployed

The government has proposed a targeted student aid to encourage studies among unemployed, 25 years or older, on compulsory and upper secondary level. The student aid is proposed to be SEK 9 100 a mounth with a possibility for students with children to get additional support. An estimated number of 15 000 - 20 000 people will be able to apply for the targeted student aid. The reform is proposed to be implemented as of 1 July 2017.

Increased funding for early efforts to facilitate establishment within the Swedish society

The government has proposed increased funding for initiatives with the aim to increase employability among newly arrived as well as to facilitate their establishment within the Swedish society. The reform concernes initiatives regarding for example Swedish tuition and Swedish society tuition. SEK 135 million in 2017, SEK 110 million in 2018, SEK 100 million in 2019 and SEK 30 million in 2020 will be allocated for primarily civil society initiatives, funding that will be administrated by the county administrations (länsstyrelserna). Additionally SEK 135 million in 2017, SEK 120 million in 2018, SEK 106 million in 2019 and SEK 41 million in 2020 will be allocated for the initiative Swedish from day one (Svenska från dag ett), a liberal adult education (folkbildning) initiative.

2 600 new places within adult apprenticeship education

For 2017, funds are allocated for 2 600 new places within adult apprenticeship education with the aim to facilitate establishment on the labour market. Part of the funds are allocated for students within Swedish tuition for immigrants (Svenska för invandrare, SFI) and Swedish as a second language (Svenska som andraspråk). SEK 243 million are allocated for new places and SEK 136 million for student aid (studiemedel).

Fast track training schemes for newly arrived

The goal of the fast track training schemes is to offer work for newly arrived in sectors with labour shortages. In 2016 several new professions have been included in the system. Five Swedish universities are for example offering a new course for newly arrived teachers and preschool teachers from the autumn 2016. The Swedish government has also given a selection of universities the task to start planning courses for newly arrived doctors, pharmacists and dentists. In June 2016, the government decided to give the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket) the task to introduce a fast track training scheme for entrepreneurs.

Investments in competency mapping and validation of foreign education

For 2016, SEK 22 million are allocated for assesment and validation of foreign education and SEK 90 million are allocated for competency mapping of newly arrived. SEK 90 million in 2017 and SEK 55 million per year from 2018 will be allocated for competency mapping.

2015

Increased responsibility for municipalities to monitor young persons under 20 who are not in education

As regards the Youth Guarantee for persons not in employment, education or training, the strengthening of municipalities' responsibility to monitor young persons under 20 who are not in education is an important change in handling youth at risk of exclusion. Since 2015, municipalities are not only required to provide appropriate individual measures but also to keep record of the interventions. The main focus is on return to education rather than labour market activation. A functioning partnership between the public employment service and various services and actors at the local level is important for the strengthened municipal responsibility to have effect. For more information see Sweden's 2015 Country Report.

Broader paths from school to work

New initiatives provide broader paths from school to work through vocational education and apprenticeships. The legal framework to monitor transition, in place since 2010, will be further strengthened by a systematic tracking of graduates in vocational education and training. An “apprenticeship reform”, included in the 2014 Spring Budget Bill, is being implemented. Furthermore, a new regulation entered into force on 1 July 2014, which made salaries for secondary school apprentices possible. A governmental inquiry is currently investigating the conditions for testing so called "industry apprenticeships" with greater influence of employers on programme content. In line with the Youth Guarantee, Sweden has worked on facilitating the transition from school to work, including widening the use of work-based learning and apprenticeships. For more information see Sweden's 2015 Country Report.

The government proposes "Education policy for a good start in Sweden"

The government has presented the aspects related to education of a proposed policy package to improve integration. The education policy part “Education for a good start in Sweden” includes: identifying immigrants’ skills, personalised Swedish for Immigrants training and educational guidance in the mother tongue.